60.21 Town board, increased size authorized.
(1) In towns where board has village powers. Any town board authorized to exercise village powers may, by ordinance, increase the number of supervisors to no more than 5. If the number of supervisors is increased to 4, the town shall elect 2 supervisors each year. If the number is increased to 5, the town shall elect 3 supervisors in odd-numbered years and 2 supervisors in even-numbered years. An increase in the number of town board supervisors under this subsection does not create a vacancy on the town board.
(2) Where town of certain population.
(a) If directed by the town meeting under s. 60.10 (2) (b), a town board of 5 members, elected at-large, shall be established in towns having a population of 2,500 or more.
(b) If a 5-member board is established and the seats of the board are numbered, the board may, by ordinance, stagger the terms of its supervisors so that the chairperson and 2 supervisors running for even-numbered seats on the town board serve 2-year terms and the other 2 supervisors serve one-year terms, with each subsequent election to be for 2-year terms so that elections occur in both odd-numbered and even-numbered years.
(c) If a 5-member board is established and the seats of the board are not numbered, the board may, by ordinance, stagger the terms of its members so that the chairperson and 2 supervisors receiving the highest number of votes in the next election serve 2-year terms and the other 2 supervisors serve one-year terms, with each subsequent election to be for 2-year terms so that elections occur in both odd-numbered and even-numbered years.
(d) An ordinance to stagger the terms of supervisors may be adopted to apply to the initial election of 5 supervisors or to any subsequent election.
(e) An increase or reduction in the membership of a town board under this subsection takes effect on January 1 of the first odd-numbered year following the most recent federal decennial or special census, but does not create any vacancy on a town board prior to the spring election.
(3) In a county containing one town.
(a) The town board of a town in any county containing only one town may consist of not more than 7 members. One or more members shall be elected from the town at-large and one member shall be elected from each town board ward, of which there shall be not less than 2 nor more than 5. The member elected from the town at-large who has the highest number of votes shall be the town board chairperson.
(b) The number and boundaries of the town board wards and the number of town board members to be elected from the town at-large shall be designated by the legislature when the town is first established. Thereafter, the number of wards shall be subject to reapportionment and increase or decrease and the number of town board members elected at-large shall be subject to increase or decrease by majority vote of the town board. In order to provide that all inhabitants are adequately represented, each ward shall have substantially the same number of inhabitants, shall, insofar as practicable, consist of contiguous territory and shall be in compact form. The total number of town board members may not be changed from the number initially fixed by the legislature.
History: 1983 a. 532; 1985 a. 135.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
60.01 - Legal status; general powers.
60.03 - Division and dissolution of towns generally.
60.05 - Organization of towns in special cases.
60.06 - Validity of attachment or detachment.
60.07 - Delivery of papers to clerk of new town.
60.09 - When a county constitutes a town.
60.10 - Powers of town meeting.
60.12 - Special town meetings.
60.16 - First town meeting in new towns.
60.21 - Town board, increased size authorized.
60.22 - General powers and duties.
60.24 - Powers and duties of town board chairperson.
60.30 - Election, appointment of town officers; general provisions.
60.305 - Combined and part-time offices.
60.307 - Appointment of town assessors.
60.31 - Official oath and bond.
60.32 - Compensation of elective town offices.
60.321 - Reimbursement of expenses.
60.323 - Compensation when acting in more than one official capacity.
60.34 - Duties of town treasurer.
60.341 - Deputy town treasurer.
60.35 - Duties of town constable.
60.40 - Preparation and adoption of budget.
60.41 - Annual financial statement.
60.45 - Disbursements from town treasury.
60.47 - Public contracts and competitive bidding.
60.52 - Sewer and water systems of adjoining municipality.
60.53 - Service pipes and laterals.
60.54 - Solid waste transportation.
60.553 - Combined protective services.
60.555 - Fire safety regulations.
60.557 - Reimbursement for fire calls on highways.
60.563 - Rewards for crime information.
60.57 - Police and fire commission.
60.61 - General zoning authority.
60.62 - Zoning authority if exercising village powers.
60.625 - Required notice on certain approvals.
60.627 - Town construction site erosion control and storm water management zoning.
60.63 - Community and other living arrangements.
60.635 - Environmental protection; interstate hazardous liquid pipelines.
60.64 - Historic preservation.
60.71 - Creation of town sanitary district by town board order.
60.72 - Creation of town sanitary district by order of the department of natural resources.
60.726 - Property with private on-site wastewater treatment system included.
60.73 - Review of orders creating town sanitary districts.
60.74 - Commissioners; method of selection.
60.75 - Commissioners; requirements.
60.76 - Organization of the commission.
60.78 - Powers to borrow money and issue municipal obligations.
60.782 - Power to act as a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district.
60.785 - Changes in district boundaries.
60.79 - Alteration of town sanitary districts.
60.80 - Publication or posting of ordinances and resolutions.
60.81 - Population; use of federal census.
60.82 - Regional planning programs.